Colors of a Rose
by LostInTheDreams
Summary: One ticked off sorceress and one magic rose leads to a very difficult life for a certain cursed magician. - Modern day take on Beauty and the Beast
1. Blue Rose

**Blue Rose**

…

O Rose, thou art sick!  
The invisible worm  
That flies in the night,  
In the howling storm,  
Has found out thy bed  
Of crimson joy:  
And his dark secret love  
Does thy life destroy.

\- William Blake

…

Akako fumed, pacing around the room. She threw every vile thing she could get her hands on into the cauldron, all the while thinking about that damn annoying magician.

She wanted him in a way she couldn't understand. While part of it was that she wanted to win, wanted her magic to work on everyone – as it should – and wanted to rid herself of the one flaw in her perfect life… she also liked him in a different way. He was charming when he wanted to be. He was kind where others would be indifferent, and he made her smile while others only fulfilled hollow needs in her.

And he was an insufferable idiot that could insult her for no good reason other than she happened to be in the room. Her clothes were still stained and it would take more than normal means to get them cleaned. The fact that he thought it was _funny_ made it all the more aggravating.

 _I hate him. I hate him so much. If he thinks that he can make a fool of me, I'll just make a fool of him._

But her spells didn't work. Anything by normal means would fail, since somehow Kuroba Kaito found a way to get around her attacks. She had, however, held him before. She'd caught him in a circle before, caused him pain before. Classic magic, magic developed long ago, all seemed to work.

She wanted him in her hands though. She needed a spell, a strong one that could bypass his barriers and make him hers forever. She'd make sure he never caused her such embarrassment again.

With a cursed out Latin word and a toss of hibiscus powder to add to the rest of the brew, steam erupted in a small plume, warming her hand. "Curse him!" She commanded the spell. "Curse him and make him mine! He will not ignore me any longer! Trap his heart!"

And just like that the red liquid calmed down. She watched it, unsure of what she had done. While most of her ingredients had been thrown in out of anger, she should document the spell and what she remembered of it.

Watching with some awe and fear as the spell took affect, the red pool of liquid turned to blue. The surface stilled completely, as if made of glass, and a white rose rested in the center.

Akako reached out, taking the rose in her hand. She saw a blackness surround it as she held it before the darkness vanished. Feeling the spell weaved around the flower, her eyes slowly opened further, understanding exactly what she had done.

She laughed. It echoed around the stonewalls until it faded into nothingness. Smiling to herself, she twirled the rose around. "You will be mine. You have no other choice but to love me. I couldn't have created a more perfect spell." With her thoughts traveling at a more sedate pace, it slowly sank in everything that would now have to occur.

Stopping and staring at the rose, a smile still on her face, she held it close to her body.

"… What have I done?"

…

Kaito was in an extreme amount of pain. He didn't think he'd ever felt something so horrible before. It was like his body wanted to tear itself apart.

If he hadn't been in his bed, trying to look over his history book, he wasn't sure what he would have done. The book, unfortunately, hadn't faired well. It was currently ripped apart, half on the bed and floor, the sheets not as shredded only for the fact that he didn't have the strength to tear them.

He may have screamed, he wasn't sure. His mother was off in Vegas again and he didn't share a home with anyone else to could come in and check on him.

It felt like an eternity later before the pain left, his breath coming fast as he stayed on his hands and knees, knowing something was really wrong but wanting to make sure the pain wouldn't come again.

His head was heavier. He knew that. It felt like he was wearing some kind of headband. His clothes didn't fit quite right and tickled, as if there were a dog under his shirt that didn't want to move. A few new bone features that had near pulled down his pants also caught his attention and he shifted a bit, making sure it didn't hurt to move them. He could feet two of his teeth, longer and now over his lips.

What was mostly noticeable though, as he looked at his hands, was that he had very, very long and thick dark blue nails.

All of that was weird and strange and something he could deal with. His heart rate was still up there though as he put one of his hands - watching out for the new nails - to his face.

He couldn't see out of one of his eyes.

Not understanding what just happened, Kaito, very slowly, found the edge of his bed and stood up. His pants didn't want to stay up so he had to hold them a bit in the front, his hand still moving to and from his eye to see if he could get his sight back.

Once in the bathroom, Kaito looked in the mirror. They only had one over the sink, though he knew both mom and dad had a full-sized one in their rooms. He hadn't thought he'd need them.

His hair was the only real thing he could pick out that was still… him. There were two small horns, aged-bone colored ones, on his head that curled around in a small half circle. His eyes were still his own color but he noticed they'd turned into slits, much like some cat's eyes did. One of them, the eye he couldn't see out of, was very pale compared to the other, almost as if there were a film over it.

That, and the almost black marks that speckled his face, starting near the top of his forehead like some bad art project until his skin was his own again, near his nose, was blatantly obvious. Just like his ears which were newly pointed and covered in a light blue fur.

That same fur was sticking out of his shirt, near his neck, and pulling down the collar revealed that it formed some kind of weird vest across his skin. He pulled on it, making sure it was real. While it was soft when he ran his hand over it, it felt like he was petting a really silky dog…

He looked behind him at what was definitely a tail, swishing it back and forth. It kind of reminded him of a wolf, it not for the fact it was longer and softer than he would think a wild animal's would be. It was light brown, not matching the unnatural light blue of the fur on his chest and ears. Taking off his socks, at least, showed his feet were normal, if not for the nails now baring the same dark blue color of his long, pointed fingernails.

"What's going on?" he asked no one, taking off his shirt. Turning as best as he could, he looked down at the fur and then at his back, seeing more of the same weird black spots, ranging from the size of a handprint to that of a freckle. At least he didn't have fur on his back too.

He sat on the toilet before yelping and making sure, this time, that the tail was out of the way, not really caring that some of his skin was now touching the lid.

Akako. Akako was the only thing he could think of. And if it wasn't her, maybe she knew what was going on. This wasn't normal and he almost no expertise when it came to real magic. This – most assuredly – was no make-up job.

Okay. First thing he had to do was accept something was wrong. Something was wrong. He let himself breath for a while, fiddling with his nails and wondering if he could cut them. They were way too long, even by girl standards, and they would rip apart any clothes he tried to put on – or back on.

Once he calmed down enough to think rationally, not running out the door holding up his pants and looking like he just escaped some bad Halloween party, he stood.

There was a tail. That was an issue. If he tried to put on any clothes it would just make them fall off like it already had. He had to let it go, his boxers at least staying up, as he tried wrapping it around him. It hurt too bad and he had to let it go.

Then an idea came to him and he sighed. Shifting his shorts down, he literally put his tail between his legs and looked at it as he moved it in front of him now, really uncomfortable and itchy as he pulled his pants back up.

"Now it looks like I'm wearing a diaper or something." He sighed and went through the drawers, looking for nail clippers. He found some, shaking his head when there was no way that it was going to work. The nails were too thick.

"Fine." Kaito picked up his shirt and put it back on, only putting a few holes in it.

He looked at himself in the mirror, touching the horns. There was no way he could hide those with anything, even a hat. They were too much on the side and a few inches thick.

"Well." He put a hand on his side, watching the nails, and stared at himself a while. The black on his face he could hide with some make up. That wouldn't be a problem. The horns… "Whatever." It was five or six last time he checked and the sun was still out, but hopefully no one would ask.

Walking was very uncomfortable. He ignored it as best he could, wishing he'd had Akako's number. At least he knew where she lived. There were a few people who turned to look at him and Kaito couldn't really blame them.

He rang the bell when, twenty minutes and about as many looks later he came to Akako's house. "Hey!" he shouted. "Open up or I'm coming in!" It might be harder with the new add-ons to himself, but he was still sure the wall wouldn't pose much of a problem.

The gate opened and Kaito walked in, looking around the large yard before going up to the mansion door and knocking. He'd love to look around, as he'd never visited her place before, but it would have to wait until he was less ticked off and had better depth perception.

Akako opened the door too fast for her to have been anywhere other than near it. Kaito took of his hands, wiping part of the makeup off his face, not that he needed to do that to get her attention. "What is going on?"

She looked him over, no real expression on her face. Eventually she stood aside. "Come in. I need to talk to you."

Kaito came in, not wanting to stand outside anyway. It wasn't cold or anything, but you could see her front door from the gate.

The door shut, an echo reaching throughout the house. Kaito turned and listened, noticing he could almost _hear_ how far reaching it went. Maybe the new, larger ears, weren't just for show. Akako didn't move where she was now leaning against the closed door so Kaito tipped his head, waiting for some kind of explanation.

Akako let out a breath and it didn't get past him that she always kept one hand behind her back, even when opening the door. She brought it forward now, a white rose it her hand... only, it didn't move when she moved. It was like it was frozen.

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"Something you need to keep. It's you, or at least, part of you. I… I was messing around earlier and some things got away from me."

Kaito reached out and took the rose. He moved it about, seeing that it was almost as someone had hit a real one with liquid nitrogen. "And that's where the horns and tail came from."

Akako nodded, looking him over again. He twitched, trying not to move the tail when he did. It was harder to control than he thought it would be. It wasn't like he had control all through it. "It's a story that would be better if we were sitting. Follow me. Don't stray."

Kaito followed her as she went through the large main room, seeing a hallway that they ignored, going up the stairs instead. There was a nice lounge room once they were up there and Kaito looked around, not sitting like Akako did. The tail and all… "I'll stand. So, you did this?"

"My spells can't usually affect you. I wasn't even sure it would work." Akako sat down, not looking too comfortable, shifting even after she had settled. "Old magic seems to work on you, so I went with that. Unfortunately, not all storybooks find their work in fiction, and not all magic stays untouched by what human's create. I'm not sure which came first but… it looks like I may have put a 'true love' spell on you."

"You mean one of those 'only true love can break the spell', kind of things?"

Akako nodded. "I had foul ingredients in it though, so that's why," she waved a hand at him. "This happened. You shouldn't have messed with me."

"I accidentally got some neon paint on you!" Kaito pointed to himself. "You made me some weird, vampire-wolf-elf thing!" There is no _way_ those two things equaled out. So she had some green paint on her shirt that looked like snot, it wasn't like she couldn't get it replaced. She had turned him into some kind of _monster_.

"That's not the only thing." Akako looked away again and that there made Kaito even more depressed somehow. It took a lot to make Akako upset.

"Yeah?"

"Nakamori-chan… When I made the spell, what I wanted was you. If you were with me instead, it would break the spell. I must have colored it with my feelings. When the spell was cast, it also put a veil over her memories. She won't know who you are."

Kaito blinked at her. What? "Like… huh?"

"Her memories of you are gone. It was what spell did. She should remember everything else just fine. Anything about you, or Kuroba Kaito, will have been faded over or forgotten."

Kaito found himself leaning against the wall. He looked like this, was half blind, and now… Aoko, what would likely be his only chance of getting rid of this, didn't remember him? It was a lot to take in as it was and that last piece just had him sliding to the floor, not caring so much at the uncomfortable tail or any of it, really.

"I hadn't meant to do that."

Kaito looked up, dully, at Akako. She truly looked remorseful but that didn't do him again good. Was he stuck like this now? He wasn't looking for love, not any more than the precarious relationship he had had before now. What would he do about school? What would he tell his mom?

"You can't fix any of this, right?" he asked, raising his hand and waving his fingers.

"No. It's a true love spell. Only true love that you feel and someone feels towards you will break it. You don't need a kiss or anything. It's not as clichéd as that."

"And I don't have that, and won't." He met her eyes, some hardness coming back, the emotion hiding under denial and confusion surfacing for a moment. "Not with you, and I don't know any other girls that I'm as close with." Keiko was only just a friend and always would be. It didn't matter. He hadn't been looking for that, not this soon. Kaito groaned and lifted his legs, resting his head in his arms.

"I'm sorry. Again, I didn't mean for it to go this far."

What was he supposed to do? Kaito didn't want to stay here anymore. He found himself getting up, walking back down the stairs and letting himself out. It was still light out and he didn't care this time when he got looks, a few people talking among themselves about him.

Normally, Kaito was good a rolling with the punches. He had to do that a lot, almost all his life. This was something he wasn't sure what to do with. He didn't have anything to fall back on. His mom was gone and Aoko was doing who knew what right now, not worried about him at all. It wasn't even the fangs and fur that would scare her away; it was the fact that he would be a complete stranger to her now.


	2. White Rose

**White Rose**

…

You have played  
(I think)  
And broke the toys you were fondest of  
And are a little tired now;  
Tired of things that break and-  
Just tired.  
So am I.  
\- Edward Cummings

…

Kaito didn't know how he made it back to his house. He lost all sense of everything and found his way to his bed, not bothering with the covers before he laid down amid the scattered, balled up papers and closed his eyes, falling asleep after freeing the stupid tail.

The morning sun woke him but he turned, pulling the pillow over his head and feeling himself accidentally put holes in it. It wasn't long after that there was a cascade of knocking at the door. Kaito tried to ignore it but it was excessive.

Getting up and looking at his pants, he went a grabbed a belt, half holding his pants up that way and going down the stairs, opening the door.

He wasn't sure which of them was more surprised to see the other, but the fact that Hakuba was the one knocking on _his_ door, Kaito figured he won that contest – if only by a little.

"What are you doing here?"

Hakuba didn't answer him though, trying to regain his composure. It didn't work, his eyes slightly larger than normal as he reached forward and poked him.

Kaito tipped his head to the side, more bored and annoyed than anything, though those feelings were dull. "It's really me." He didn't know how much of the makeup came off last night or while he was trying to sleep. He was sure that even if it was still in place, he made an odd sight to see.

"What… what is this?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Back to my question now. What are you doing here?"

"I think I would like you to answer mine but we can touch up on it later. Aoko and the fact that she said she does not remember you ever being in class - then you not showing up - had me worried something had happened. It seems I wasn't too far off though this is not what I was expecting."

Kaito didn't know if he wanted to explain this. Hakuba was a detective. He wouldn't really take the world of magic with open arms and Kaito was still getting used to the idea of all of this himself. The fact that he couldn't even keep his pants up without assistance deterred him wanting any company. "I don't think even I can explain it. I have to figure out a few things."

Hakuba didn't look like he was leaving though. Of course, Kaito thought. No way would a detective walk away from a mystery. Because he was bored and Hakuba was looking, along with the fact that it was just fun, Kaito started wagging his tail back and forth. He couldn't turn it up or anything like a cats, but twitching it like this was easy. The detective had his eyes on it and it made Kaito smile some.

"Come in then, if you're just going to make me stand here all day."

Hakuba came in and Kaito closed the door. He wasn't comfortable wearing his pants half down and sitting had been hard unless he tucked the tail downward, so he instead laid out on the couch, trying to look at his classmate and still keep himself comfortable. Between the horns trying to hollow holes in the couch and the itchy fur, he wasn't sure if the tail was really the worst of his problems.

"So… you have horns, and… fangs… and it looks like a tail." The detective didn't want to sit, instead wandering around him and poking, pulling, and feeling anything that was new. None of it really bothered him except the ears.

"Ow." Kaito rubbed at his ear, nearer to where it was pointed. "Careful with the little hairs."

"It's… real." Hakuba took hold of one of the horns and moving it moved Kaito's whole head. He would have swiped at him if not for the fact that he was afraid of cutting himself on his own horn or leaving some huge slash mark across the detective's arm.

"Yes, real, now knock it off."

Hakuba took his hands back but looked like he wanted to be poking him again. Kaito wasn't really in the mood to reprimand him a third time unless he hurt him with his ministrations, so he just shrugged at the look he was getting.

"Are you going to tell me what the heck is going on?"

"Spell," Kaito spoke idly. "I have no idea how. It looks like Akako-san was ticked off at me enough that I got something from almost every monster in the book in me." He didn't look _that bad_ , considering it didn't change his body type, but he didn't look normal. "Except anything undead. I'm glad I'm not decomposing over here. It looks like she made Aoko forget me too. Something about 'true love' breaking it and of course she cut me off from my one way of doing that."

Hakuba put a fist to his lips, laughing slightly. "That's an inventive story."

"Now see? You don't even believe me when I'm telling the truth."

"Since when do you _actually_ tell the truth to anybody? Is this some of elaborate hoax? The only one you could be trying to get with it is me, and I do not find it funny."

"It's not a hoax." Even Kaito wouldn't be mean enough to mess with someone's sanity, at least, not a classmates – be them an annoying detective or not. How to get him to believe that though? Kaito wasn't really up for trying and just laid down, defeated and confused in his own mind still. "I wish it was." He couldn't even go outside like this. Well, he could, but he'd get a lot of people looking at him and quite possibly some unwanted attention.

No smile or laughter to follow the statement let it sink in more that this really wasn't Kaito's doing. Hakuba sat on the arm seat of the couch so he could look him over, Kaito having taken up the whole thing.

"So, you really think you're cursed or something and that this somehow has magic involved?"

"I don't think, I know. I saw Akako-san last night. She said she didn't mean to do it so I'm not going entirely hold it against her. It's not like there's anything I can do and she as good as said there's nothing she can do to fix it."

Kaito heard another stifled laugh and peeked up at him, seeing Hakuba's hand back at his mouth. "Forgive me. Do you really think Koizumi-san, a classmate and all around normal individual compared to yourself, could do something like that?"

"Ever noticed how you fawn over her like crazy? I'm sure you don't do that with everyone." Kaito lifted his hand and wiggled his fingers, though it looked like a threat now. "Magic."

Hakuba looked like he was thinking on that so Kaito rested his head back down. He didn't know what he was going to do. Getting rid of the nails, once he found something to cut them, and the fur after so he wasn't scratching himself up, seemed the first moves he should make. Maybe he could, somehow, get Aoko to remember him again. That was, after he stopped looking like this.

"And the heist this weekend?"

Kaito winced. Right. He was supposed to be stealing something. A necklace some actress was showing off that he hadn't really cared about. All the diamonds on it were smaller than what he was looking for. It was just one of those things to go after to throw off the police. "What about it?"

"You're not going…" Hakuba shook him lightly as he touched the horn again. "Like this, are you? Even as a fan, you'll stand out."

There was no way he could go. He'd have to cancel, and that in turn would worry Snake or give him the advantage to get something that might be important, even though it wasn't. Kaito let out a breath. "So, do you have anything to help me get rid of at least some of these? I'm keeping the tail, just because that would really hurt getting rid of." And he wasn't about to go and explain to any doctors how he had one. Hakuba wasn't exactly a 'quiet' person and he doubted anyone who worked with him was either.

"Well… the nails can probably be filed, but since they're bone and thicker, like a dogs, while still being of a larger width like our own, they'd have to be removed with something that won't simply break them off of your fingers. I suspect that would hurt."

"Sounds like fun." Kaito looked at his nails, playing one over another, and licked one of his larger fangs. While they had grown too hard to hide behind his lips, his other teeth hadn't exactly become as intimidating. He doubted biting them off would work.

"I think I have a rotary tool at my house somewhere. That should work for the nails, though it might be uncomfortable. Want to try it? Of course, if this is real, I'd rather like to check out some of…"

"You can keep whatever you want." Kaito sat up slowly. There was no way he could do this by himself and his mom wasn't here, so he wasn't going to pass up Hakuba's offer. He could always as the old man but if Hakuba wanted to do it, why not? That was one less person to freak out. If he was able to get rid of the horns and nails right now, he was all for that. "But what about school?"

"I think you've provided me with a fair enough reason for us both to miss out on one day."

Kaito smiled and went to stick his hands in his pockets before deciding that making his pants fall down more was a bad idea. "I wish you had a car."

"I can call for a ride."

Near half an hour later, Kaito found himself in the peculiar position of being led through Hakuba's overly large house. The detective had insisted after seeing how much trouble he had to go through to sit down in the car that they tailor up his clothes quickly before trying to get rid of the other stuff. He didn't mind at all, though it did become awkward the second that Hakuba had to sit next to him, cut his pants, and was examining the tail.

Kaito moved it when asked, apparently soothing the detective's curiosity further. He even let him hold it as he moved it back and forth to prove that there was a bone there and that, yes, he has partial control over it. Kaito didn't mind too much, it just felt weird, as if he were touching his ear or any other part of his body that wasn't normally touched.

Kaito stood after the five minutes of sowing were done, happy he had his pants pulled up all the way now, though not too happy the brown, fluffy tail, was so long. It went right down past his knees and then some. "Thanks."

"Thank me later. I have no idea how well sawing on someone's head is going to be. While I can't imagine your brains being scrambled any more than they already are, you're going to have to tell me if you aren't feeling well."

Kaito nodded, following Hakuba out to his garage. He whistled once he was inside. While a car took up about a forth of the large space, there was a workroom and bench and other miscellaneous items that filled up another good portion themselves. "Workroom?"

"Yes. I'm sure you have one of your own."

He did, but it was nothing this big. Jii-chan's was better suited for any crafting he wanted to do, and that was in his basement.

Going over to toolbox, Hakuba pulled open the second drawer and took out a tool and a small, black, plastic case Kaito was sure had bits in it. He went over to the wall as well and grabbed something that looked like an electric handheld saw, handing all three items over to Kaito. "Nails first, so we'll both need chairs. Go over to the work table and wait there a second."

Kaito did as he was told, putting the tools down as well and fumbling with them. The nails really had to go. They were getting in the way so badly. He couldn't understand how girls _liked_ long nails. Magic certainly would have a step up in the difficulty level for anyone who tried to perform with them.

Hakuba came back with two folding chairs and he didn't miss the new safety glasses he was now wearing. Instructed to sit down and place his hand on the table, he watched the detective set up the tool, a small saw blade going on the end. Before starting, the blond smiled. "I never thought I would be playing manicurist to you."

That made Kaito laugh, the first one since all this had happened. "I never thought you would either. Make me pretty"

Hakuba looked like he might have laughed as well, though it was too quiet to hear. The detective lost his smile as he concentrated and turned the tool on, the hum filling the air around them.

Kaito noticed right away that he couldn't move, even a little, or Hakuba would cut more than the nail. The detectives hand was on each finger as he worked, holding the base of the nail still. It didn't hurt so much as vibrated his whole body and kept Kaito from doing anything voluntary. The first few were slow going until Hakuba figured out how shallow or deep to go and got into a rhythm, taking his other hand when he was finished with the first and having to deal with new angles.

After they were all cut off, Hakuba kept him from taking his hand back, switching out the bit on the tool he had and going at the nails again. Kaito realized that it was smoothing them out so that the edges wouldn't be sharp anymore and they wouldn't be as thick.

His hands his again, Kaito dealt with the aftereffects of the vibrations, running his fingers over the much shorter and evened out fingernails. "Great job."

That was the easy part." Hakuba pushed the glasses up and stood, parting his hair and getting a better look at the horns. "This is the hard part."

It turned out the detective was right. Kaito found himself on the floor, head against the cold hard concrete, while the blond knelt beside him, sawing off the horn on one side with the tiny metal blade.

It was like the world went crazy when he did. The first minute or so was fine but then he started to feel sick. The world tipped at odd angles and it took everything in him to hold off on losing whatever was still in his stomach right there. He didn't want the horns, couldn't have them, and if he told Hakuba to stop, that it was making him sick, than he likely wouldn't want to start again.

Much too long later, the machine finally quieted only for Hakuba to go over and get the electric handsaw. "This will only take a few seconds. I can't reach the center. Bare with me."

Kaito didn't even bother nodding, just waited as the detective was true to his word, the louder, harsher machine in his ear for what couldn't have been even half a minute before he felt the horn disconnect, not really sure if he felt any lighter as the world continued to spin.

Like with the nails, Hakuba came back in and evened out the edges so that they weren't sharp. Once that was finished, unwilling to sit up, Kaito felt around at the inch or so of bone that was still on his head. His hair could hide most of it and this was a lot better than before.

Kaito turned over and suffered through the process one more time. When Hakuba was finished a second time though, he got up and ran to his yard, his feet almost tripping him up several times until he was far enough away and was able to let himself be ill.

The world was still spinning even after and he felt the blond at his side, offering him water and leading him back to the house.

Hakuba was being nice. It was weird. Kaito was used to the classroom dynamic. This… odd new one was just that, odd.

Kaito was barely aware of anything other than the happiness he felt when he had a soft bed under him and the calm blackness behind his eyelids.

…

For the next twenty-four hours, Hakuba demanded that Kaito stay under his watch. He didn't mind, getting the hair off while he had nothing to do and feeling great after her was mostly back to normal. Sure Hakuba would never use that razor again, but it was his own fault for not having a trimmer. The detective didn't have make-up, so there was nothing he could do about the black marks on his face, but he was starting to feel much more like his usual self.

Skipping dinner but joining him for breakfast the next day, Kaito felt even better. Rest and the lacking of some of the difficulties he'd been dealing with the previous day, he happily ate and then got himself ready to go back to his own house. There was only a half day tomorrow and he had the heist the day after so he was planning on preparing and skipping Saturday.

"Thanks," Kaito said sincerely with a bow to his classmate. "Seriously. I have no idea what I would have done if you hadn't come to check on me."

Hakuba waved his hand. "This still doesn't make sense to me. I also missed having to dodge you in class. I suppose things returning to the way they were is a long shot unless you plan to rejoin the class with those new additions of yours."

Kaito shrugged. He'd go back to school, probably. He'd have to figure out how to hide what was leftover after the makeover, but he could probably do it. Something else hurt more. With Aoko having no memories of him, he didn't know how different things were going to be. "We'll just have to see."

Hakuba nodded and then added a smile to it. "Good luck."

Kaito winked back at him. "Thanks."

…

"Kid! Kid! Kid! Kid!"

Kaito listed to the screams below, the gem in his hand. It had been much harder than he thought to hide the pointed ears and the tail but he and Jii-chan had managed. It seemed he couldn't fold it up so it now rested, unrestrained, against the inner part of his right pants leg. He had lost the ability to bend and twist around as well when they had tried to tie it up.

The night air felt fresh on his face and gave him a renewed sense of confidence. While a lot had changed, this had remained a constant, and he was happy for that. He needed at least something stable in his life right now, whether he'd admit it aloud or not. Kid was – funny enough – that stability.

Without needing a word, Kaito stepped forward, white material fluttering around him in the breeze. He grinned to the group below him, all gathered here for him. There were a few branches that were there for the actress, as she was well liked and had her own fan base, but his was larger.

He jumped, knowing the inspector and his men inside the building he was currently standing on, though there was an undercover van not far off. He could drop the necklace on top of it and not have to worry about returning it later.

The night was going so perfect and he felt amazing. His heart stopped for a second though when he saw a girl, more vocal than the others and closer to the building than most of his fans could get. She, unlike the others, was glaring and shouting something at him.

Aoko?!


	3. Red Rose

**Red Rose**

…

Yet if you should forget me for a while  
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:  
For if the darkness and corruption leave  
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,  
Better by far you should forget and smile  
Than that you should remember and be sad.

\- Christina Georgina Rossetti

…

Walking up to Akako's house that night, at least changed out of his clothes if not having cared for the way he looked in them, Kaito knocked hard on the door. "Hey!"

It took longer than the first time but Akako answered the door, her eyes widening a bit when he wore no hat to hide the missing horns. He wanted to smile a bit at the fact that science beat her magic but now wasn't the time to rub it in.

"I thought you said Aoko didn't remember me!"

"She doesn't. Any memories of Kuroba Kaito are gone."

That's when it all clicked and Kaito swore to himself, looking down at the ground for a moment before back up at Akako. "So she remembers me as Kid but not me as myself?"

"She didn't and doesn't love Kid so the magic had no effect on those memories." Akako smirked. "You as Kid?"

Kaito wasn't going to bother with reasoning away his use of the word. Akako knew he was Kid, had helped him with that in the past, and he wasn't up for playing mind games right now.

So, Aoko knew him, she just didn't know _him_. That was so stupid and annoying and he hated it, hated it so much. Letting out a breath and relaxing a bit as he faced her again, less anger there, he noticed that Akako looked really tired. He hadn't been to school to see her so he wasn't sure if it was lack of sleep or something more.

"Is there any way for her to remember me again?'

Akako shrugged. "I hadn't meant to paint the spell with my wants. It happened when that rose I gave you was created. Even if you get her, or someone else, to love you, I'm not sure it will return her memories. That was an effect, it wasn't part of the curse."

That was a small hope at least, though very small by the sounds of it. Kaito nodded and turned, happy to have the ability to put his hands in his pocket again. "Thanks. Sorry. I guess I misunderstood the first time."

Akako said nothing back as he left her property, going over to Aoko's instead of his own house when he made it back to the neighborhood. He was happy enough that at least a part of him hadn't been completely wiped out from her memories, even if she didn't know that.

Kaito looked up at her window, changing his clothes in the back yard. Looking like Kid while he was there was something he never would have normally done but the inspector was gone for now, would be for a good part of the rest of the night with the other task force members, and Kaito just wanted… something. Acknowledgment from her maybe. He hadn't wanted to try facing her with… Well, looking in the mirror, even his eyes weren't shaped the way they used to be. He was recognizable, but he certainly didn't look very human. Kid's clothes hid most of that.

So Kaito found himself in the last place he thought he'd be, partially hanging from Aoko's roof, dressed as Kid, and knocking on her window. He didn't know what possessed him to be so straight forward, but at this point he wasn't thinking much. There couldn't be that many consequences to being a masked man at a window. Even if she saw too much, it wasn't like she could ID him.

Aoko did, however, know Kid the second she saw him and threw open her window, looking around as if someone were playing a joke on her. Kaito was getting used to that kind of greeting.

"Hi," he spoke softly, so as to not startle her. He wasn't sure what to add to that but didn't have to worry about that.

"What do you think you're doing?! Why are you here, at my widow?!" Aoko looked around, probably for something to hit him with, and came up with nothing long enough. Kaito knew she'd have to leave the room to get something unless she wanted to throw her books at him.

What _was_ he doing here? This was stupid. He found himself reaching into his front coat pocket though and pulling out the white rose that Akako had reminded him about. He didn't have any real ones on him. "Here."

"I don't want you're stupid flower! I'm not one of your fan-girls!"

Kaito winced, more hatred in her voice than normal. He had to wonder if that's because her memories of him, and thus any 'good' magician, were gone. "It's not that kind of gift." It wasn't. This flower was special, wasn't it? He wasn't sure what it did. All he was sure of was that he wanted her to have it. He liked hearing her voice too, even if she was yelling at him. She did that most of the time anyway.

"Well then… what is it? It certainly looks like a flower."

"It's… me. I think." Kaito wasn't sure. He pushed it a little more towards her. "But that's the wrong way to give it to you." It vanished before reappearing in his hand, like the first time he had given her a flower. "Please, take it."

"Why would I want something of yours?" Aoko looked really confused and ticked off, crossing her arms in front of her chest but not taking a step backwards.

"Because…" Because why? It wasn't as if he could give her a good explanation. He let out a breath, slow and quiet. "I like you, a lot. I'm not sure I love you but I definitely want you in my life, and if it's only this way, that's at least something."

Aoko raised an eyebrow but otherwise he expression didn't change. She said nothing and eventually Kaito simply laid the rose on her windowsill in front of her.

"I said I didn't want it!" She knocked it off and it fell. Kaito couldn't catch it, considering he was hanging himself, and didn't care much about it. This conversation wasn't really going the way he wanted and he didn't want her to end it because he got her mad and she shut the window on him.

Not that he had time to think about that for long. It felt like a car hit him all of a sudden and he had to grab the line he was using to hold himself up, letting it go when his strength waned a moment later before grabbing it again. He dropped from the second story window but even with the new hold his body didn't want to keep him up and he released the line a second time and fell.

The falling hurt almost as much as the unexpected pain. Normally two story drops didn't bother him, but that was because he was able to brace himself. This time he'd fallen all but blind and the confused world around him stayed confused for a while – a long while.

By the time he could focus enough to blink, Aoko was staring down at him and had her hands on his hips. He stared back up at her, trying to figure out what to say but still feeling too sore to move. He was able to reach a hand up to make sure his hat was still on, though he let it fall to his chest right after.

"What kind of idiot thief just falls like that? Are you sure you're the real one? Because I'm starting to think you're not."

Kaito nodded. Slowly, so as the world stayed under him this time, he turned and got off his back, his head not liking even the small movements. The white a few feet from him caught his eye and he got to his feet, stumbling a little as he went over to the rose and picked it back up. One of the petals was bent at an odd angle and looked ready to snap off. Was that…?

"Here." Kaito went back over to Aoko, no magic this time as he carefully handed the flower back. "Please don't do that again."

Aoko snatched it back quickly, holding it too tight. Kaito didn't know how he knew she was but the pain his body felt when she had it in her hands let him reason that out. He put a hand to his chest, finding it hard to breath. Either not knowing what she was doing or possibly doing it on purpose, Kaito tried to tell her to ease up on the flower. Without breath to say the words though, he found himself back on the grass, on his side at least this time, and struggling to get _some_ air in.

Aoko must have let up as she bent down near him, Kaito's lungs letting him take in air now. He let out a few harsher breaths that were likely scaring her before he was able to calm them and half sit up.

"Please, that flower is me, somehow. Can you be a little more gentle?"

Aoko had backed up when he had sat, standing after and making sure she didn't give him any advantage. She looked from the flower in her hand back down to him. "You were being serious? Are you crazy or something?"

"No, it's magic." Kaito gave her no further explanation, standing up and bowing lightly to her, making sure he wouldn't pass out if he did more, and vanished in a blossom of smoke.

…

Kaito didn't go back to school because he had another objective – get Aoko to talk to him. He didn't want to have to deal with her not knowing him in class, and at least – as Kid – he had something. Maybe he could even get her to remember him by playing the thief.

Every night he came to her window and gave her a flower, talking to her and asking about her day. The first time he had done it, he'd gotten a reaction mush like their renewed introduction. Giving her the flower might not have been such a good idea. It really hurt and she seemed to hate him more than ever now. She'd mess with it when he couldn't see, either to test out if it really did affect him while he was there and she could witness, or because he ticked her off. She didn't like his sense of humor much, but then again, she never really had. He just felt like acting like himself instead of Kid while he was there to just… be himself around her.

The second and consecutive nights were less painful but just as confused, for both of them. Kaito wanted to be there to talk to her, to maybe help her, and Aoko just saw a thief with no obvious objectives keeping her from either her homework or sleep.

"So," Kaito asked on the fifth day, now able to at least sit on the windowsill so that she could have a seat in her chair or on her bed. "No school tomorrow. Why are you working on your homework assignments already?"

"I have plans with a friend of mine. We're going out to check out a new restaurant that her dad is helping finance and I promised I'd go. Knowing her, we'll be out all day. Why, want to come?" Aoko said it as a joke, as she had several other times that she'd told him she had plans, but Kaito had wanted to take her seriously. Keiko-chan would remember him, but letting Aoko know she had forgotten him would either confuse or tick her off if it was brought up. That and it would tie him to Kid, which wasn't a good thing when Keiko _could_ ID him. That or things went they way he'd want them to and she'd think it was all some kind of joke.

Kaito didn't really mind night inviting himself along. What was eating at him was Aoko had been spending more time with Hakuba. She'd been coming home later and the third night that he had come had been near midnight, since she had been out with the detective, apparently at some small concert venue that was playing at a nearby bar and allowed people of all ages.

"I would like to, but it seems you don't like my company much."

Aoko sighed. "Not really, if we're being honest. I haven't told you to leave yet though. I'm not sure why. I don't think you're really the thief, if that's why you're wondering why I haven't called my dad. You're too clumsy."

Kaito smirked. "Only around you."

Aoko shook her head, all the while looking from the book to her paper and not bothering with his presence.

"I think I'm going to be leaving soon."

She did turn to him at that. "No more bothering me then?"

Kaito shook his head. "Nope. Another few days and you'll never have to see me again." Kaito took his hat off because, really, what was the point of all this? She didn't know him and he'd already been debating this for a while now. He was thinking of moving. If he stayed here, went to class, made it obvious he was here, Aoko would know that something was wrong.

Something _was_ wrong, but messing up _both_ their lives so that he could tell her stories of a time she wouldn't remember didn't seem worth it. Aoko was stubborn. She'd try to remember, try to fix it. With neither of them able to and having to deal with not even being a memory, it seemed in the best interests of both of them that he transfer schools. He could learn to live with the limited eyesight and the tail. The fangs weren't a bother.

Kaito noticed Aoko staring at him this time as he turned from his hat to her. She hadn't seen him before now, not what was under Kid's guise anyway, so he was sure it was more interest than any recognition.

"You're younger than I thought."

"Yeah, I'm your age, if not a few months older," Kaito admitted, leaving the monocle on his bad eye. It was better to not show that off.

"And your name? I know you're not Kaitou Kid, even the thief isn't this weird, so who are you and what do you want?"

"You can just call me Kaitou Kid, or Kid. And as for what I want…" Kaito tapped his leg, unsure. "I suppose I just like talking to you."

Aoko smiled and shook her head, turning back to her book. "You sure must be lonely if that's the only reason you're here."

Was he? Maybe he was. He would have really liked to have gone back to school and seen his friends. He didn't even mind putting up with the detective or the witch. He just hadn't wanted to cause Aoko trouble. "I suppose I am a bit lonely."

"You know, I've been talking to my friends about you. If you stop playing weirdo and come hang out with us, maybe I won't take so much offense to you barging in here."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "You've been talking to others about me?"

Aoko nodded. "Mostly just Hakuba-kun and Akako-chan, since they're my friends. If I told Keiko she'd freak out and worry about me, probably call the cops. You do come here when my dad's not here some of the time."

Kaito shrugged. "You're here most of the time at night and I can't tell when he has other stuff to do."

It took him until just then to notice that, as much as he hadn't wanted to impose on her, Aoko was doing just fine without him. She was talking to the other still, was aware that letting a stranger talk to her like this at least warranted someone else knowing in case something happened to her, and was still…. Aoko. He smiled at that thought.

"Tonight will be enough. Keep that flower safe, if you will. If for some reason you can't any longer, please give it to your friend, Akako-san. She seems to like magic." Kaito hadn't spoken with her much but she had other things to do and he had no reason to bother her any longer.

He jumped out the window, landing gracefully in the grass, before walking off into the night.


	4. Black Rose

**Black Rose**

…

Why thou wert there, O rival of the rose!  
I never thought to ask, I never knew:  
But, in my simple ignorance, suppose  
The self-same Power that brought me there brought you

\- Ralph Waldo Emerson

…

Why was it that every time Kaito was planning something, Hakuba liked to come and ruin it.

A few days before his mom was going to return home and they were going to leave for a while, Hakuba showed up at his doorway, fuming with a confused Aoko by his side. Kaito opened it, wondering what the detective wanted. Aoko, he knew, wanted nothing of him. This was the first time she was seeing _him_ and nothing about her demeanor showed any familiarity towards him. Watching her stick closer to the detective was almost hard.

"Hey, it's-"

"What do you think you're doing? Do you think running away from this will solve anything? Are you really the idiot I thought you were before I got to know you?"

"We should talk inside." Kaito backed away from the door a bit. "This is personal though. I think you're friend should wait out here."

"No. I've had enough running around in circles around her because it's what _you_ wanted. I though you had some kind of _plan_ , but now that you're giving up and running way, I'm making my own choices. I know you're just as happy leaving her, oblivious to the fact that you're taking her best friend away from her, but I am _not_."

Kaito sighed, moving aside more. "Come in before the neighbors start to get curious – namely her dad."

Hakuba stepped in with Aoko and Kaito closed the door. He was used to locking it but, noticing how uneasy Aoko was, he figured it was better not to. Leading the way to the living room, Kaito sat down on the chair, forgetting that while he had been home he hadn't been hiding the tail. "Shoot." He tucked it away some but Aoko had already seen it, so he pulled it right back out. He hated when he sat on it and cut off feeling anyway. "Cute, huh?" he found himself asking Aoko, waving it a little.

"Kuroba-kun." Hakuba sat down on the couch, Aoko following his lead hesitantly. Kaito was only slightly bothered by the fact that they were sitting together, more bothered that she was clearly so uncomfortable here. She hadn't even said anything. A quiet Aoko was… unnatural. "Why are you not telling her what's going on?"

Kaito would have thought that was obvious. "I can't find a way to fix it. Since it would be weird going to school with you guys, I'm just going to transfer. It's not like I'll be all that far and mom's got a friend I can stay with." He could get his schooling done and, hey, the few things about him that were still 'off' weren't that bad.

Hakuba sighed. "Just because you can't fix it is no reason not to say anything." He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a few pictures and showing them to him. "Aoko has been very confused these last few days, and you haven't been helping the matter."

Of course there were still pictures of the two of them. Kaito had a bunch himself. He didn't' know why he'd assumed that anything that had something to do with him was gone. Pictures couldn't be changed, apparently, as easy as memories. "I didn't know."

"Well you do now." Hakuba set them down and turned to Aoko. "Aoko-kun, this is Kuroba Kaito. I know this may be difficult to understand but your memories were tampered with. _Someone_ was supposed to be trying to find a way to fix that and hasn't."

Kaito waved to her when she looked over at his eyes… his eyes, which didn't look any more normal than his newly pointed ears or fang that went smashingly good with his tail. He was sure looking like a werewolf wasn't helping but at least he'd taken to hiding the black marks on his face, even alone.

"I don't understand this," Aoko pouted, her hands in her laps turning into fists. "You're the one that's been talking to me the last few nights, right?"

"Guilty," Kaito admitted. "I wanted to see how you were doing without looking like a weirdo."

"You came off as a _huge_ weirdo."

Kaito smiled. "Yeah, but at least it made you pause long enough to hear me out instead of me being just some stranger."

Aoko said nothing to that and Hakuba put an arm around her shoulder. "Sit back a second. This is a rather unbelievable story and I think we should get the basics down before we go any further, starting with the fact that the two of you are best friends. Since Kuroba-kun's going to have to fill in this part, I'm expecting it to make little sense and be overly convoluted."

Kaito smiled to himself even more.

…

Kaito took the next half an hour or so getting the basics down and Aoko was left looking torn between disbelief and hurt. Kaito stood and got them all some tea since she kept looking at him as if expecting him to do something. He wasn't sure what and tea was a good idea in any case. It helped with shock. It was also the polite thing to do and he was getting thirsty with all the talking.

When he returned he noticed the different way Aoko was looking at him. He could only shrug and put a teacup into her hands. "Here. Sorry for not talking to you about this sooner."

"I can kind of see why you didn't. I still don't know how I feel. I don't remember you at all. It's like reading a book in a language you only partially understand. I can kind of see the picture, but I can't get into the story. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Kaito handed a teacup to Hakuba as well before sitting down and enjoying his own. "I already know you didn't remember me. I didn't think going over our past would change anything."

"At least it gives her some say and understanding into what she's been wanting to know and what's going to happen now. Are you still planning on leaving?"

Kaito thought about it before nodding. "Yeah. It'll be weird for both of us, especially since Keiko-chan and the rest still know who I am." He met Aoko's eye. "I don't wan to see you look like that every time something you don't remember his brought up."

Aoko tried to school her features but she'd never been good at doing that. "I'm not looking like anything. You don't have to leave school, a school you've apparently been going to with me, just because I don't remember you."

Kaito didn't need to have any more reasons than he already had that he'd made the right decision, but her expression just then didn't hurt. "Why, Hakuba-kun, are you going to miss me?"

"I don't think you should leave. This is your home and you've done nothing wrong." The blond looked between the two of them. "But I can see your point. I'm sure having memories on one side and not the other would hurt you as well as her."

"What about that flower? The one you gave me? Neither of you brought it up. Do you want it back? It seems like it's a bad thing if just anyone has it."

"Flower?" Hakuba gave him a questioning look.

"Just keep it. If you don't want it, give it to Akako-san. She's the one who gave it to me and should know what it does. I'm sure she has somewhere safe she can put it."

"Yeah, but when I leave it in my desk or my drawer and take it out, it starts to dry out." Aoko went to her book bag, having clearly been on her way to school before Hakuba had changed their destination. She took out the flower. "Here. You should keep it somewhere in the light. You told me it's you, right? I wouldn't lock it away somewhere and I don't really know what to do with it myself."

Kaito was more than surprised that she had it with her and also that it hadn't hurt him, being in her book bag. He took it on reflex, looked it over, a small, sad smile coming to his face. "Thanks. I never noticed." He twirled it around, Hakuba watching him with open curiosity. "It's the wrong color." He didn't know why he said it, just that he did.

"What do you mean? What's going on, Kuroba-kun?"

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you. Akako-san gave me this, told me it was a part of me. Said something about how it was important, but she didn't know why. Apparently it's somehow an extension of me. If it gets hurt, so do I."

Hakuba stiffened at that. "That's… horrible."

Kaito shrugged. "I was taking care of it and then Aoko was. It's not like it needs water or anything."

"What did you mean when you said it was the wrong color?" he asked.

"Oh." Kaito blinked a few times. "It just reminded me that I usually give Aoko red ones, since that was how we met. I'm not used to having white roses, though I've used them a few times when I'm… doing other things."

"I suppose I can understand why it's white, though isn't the kanji in your name 'black'? That's a bit ironic." Hakuba seemed to ease up a bit, though his eyes stayed on the rose.

"Well, I don't have black, but I do have a red marker." Aoko went back in her bag and looked around for a while before taking out a red coloring marker. "Here. I kind of wonder what would happen if you colored it a little, like in those story books?"

Kaito kind of did too, though she meant 'paint' and not 'color', and didn't waste must time taking the marker from her. He started small, just dotting the flower. The red stayed on there and it didn't hurt him, so he colored the rest of flower that he has access to.

They all waited to see if anything would happen and when it didn't, Kaito smiled. He gave the rose back to her, being careful but letting it bloom in his hand as before. "There, now it's the right color."

"I really don't think I should have it." Aoko took it anyway, holding it in her hands. "I'll try to make sure to keep it safe though."

"Thanks." Kaito sat back and finished the rest of tea before getting up. "You guys are _really_ late to class."

Aoko laughed a little bit at that and Hakuba shook his head with a smile, losing it as he caught his eye. "I'd still rather you stay."

"I'll think about it." Both of them knew he would but that wouldn't change his mind.

Aoko stood up as well. "I think you should stay too."

That, though, might be a game changer. "It will hurt you."

She shook her head. "It will hurt _you_. You can't hurt over something you don't remember. I'm sorry that it will but if we were really that close I know I wouldn't want you to just leave like that. If I somehow remember again, I'll feel even worse. And if I don't… well, I liked you before, I'll like you again. You're my best friend, right? Hakuba-kun… told me that you liked me, and I liked you, and all this weird spell stuff. I didn't believe him before but he's not one to lie and I've asked a few others and they all… backed up his story." She blushed a little and it was cute.

Kaito blinked at her a few times. He didn't look normal anymore and there was no way to fix the things that were still wrong with him. He was sure the class would find it more than strange and his teachers, mostly his gym teacher, wouldn't just accept the changes like they had. Going to any type of 'normal' school would be hard and there would be a lot of questions.

"Aoko, I-"

"You're weird, I know, but I've been wondering something about that." Aoko took a step closer to him, getting close to invading his personal space, and looked him in the eye. He lost all sight of everything around him looking back at her due to his own sight. "True love and all that stuff. I don't know if I really believe in it. It's good for fairy tales but we're dealing with real life here. It's lying then, if you and I really were that close. If you really think that you're true love was with me, then memories or no memories, it should still be there. We're together right now and, by storybook standards, it seems like something destined to happen no matter what we say about it. So then, if that true love if what this is based on, doesn't that mean just being around me should break the spell?"

That was a lot to think on at once but Kaito was able to do it, shaking his head. "Akako-san said it was something about loving and being loved in return."

"If I cared about you as much as you say I did, then I do love you, somewhere in me. You sure that that's how it works? Because then you're the one that doesn't love me or there's something messed up here."

Aoko had a point to that, though Kaito wasn't sure. Without memories, he wasn't sure if he could call what she felt towards him love. He knew he loved her in return though, loved her enough that he was willing to let this go. He was still young. He didn't know how long he would have stayed with her. Their few dates probably weren't enough for anything like 'true love' to be a factor. He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.

"I do love you. Kind of. In a weird, immature, kind of way. I'm sorry that I can't fix this. I'm kind of happy that you know I'm Kid now, even by accident." Kaito smiled something very genuine. "I didn't want you to worry about me or get hurt, but it was bothering me when I had to lie to you. Being someone you don't like at the same time as being someone you do, I'm sure we've already confused this spell like no tomorrow. We're too tangled to get it right anyway."

Aoko frowned, trying to put all that together. "You're really Kaitou Kid too?"

Kaito nodded.

She laughed. "Kaito and Kaitou Kid. You're really _original_ , you know that."

"Hey," Kaito defended. "I didn't pick my own name! My parents did that and Kid was around before I was born so it's their bad sense of humor."

The other two laughed and Kaito felt a smile come to his face, even though he was the brunt of the joke. It still _was_ his parents who had done the naming. It wasn't like any of it was his fault so he couldn't really feel any of the mocking.

"You know," Aoko spoke quietly after the laughter. "If you really did mean that much to me, and you can make me laugh, I suppose those fan-girls have to have _some_ reason for liking you." She looked down at the now red flower. "I don't hate you but I don't know you."

Kaito winced, looking at her and the flower again. She didn't seem to be holding it tight at all though. "What did-"

The flower looked like it was very real all of a sudden, but that could have just been his eyes playing tricks on him. Then… the petal started to fall. They all watched, the red fluttering to the ground with no wind to pick them up and toss them about.

The world went haywire on his brain, pain there briefly but it felt similar to how it had been when the horns were coming off – pain but mostly sickness and confusion and blackness.

….

Kaito woke up to his head being lifted up, feeling like he was going to, again, lose a meal to being ill. The light hair and skin made it clear enough it was Hakuba, his somewhat cold fingers pushing against his throat.

"'m fine," Kaito spoke quietly, trying to blink his vision clear. Hakuba ignored him and Kaito figured he was counting. Then he was messing up his hair like a kid and it took Kaito a while to try and push him away. "What 're you doing?"

"The horns are gone."

Kaito could swear he heard some confusion and happiness there. He reached up himself, realizing his eyes were trying to adjust to one being able to see now, which is why his vision was still a little screwed up. No horns.

"Huh." Kaito sat up slowly. It was so much easier to do without worrying about the tail he knew right away was gone and that made him smile. While it was pretty cool having it, it was one of the biggest inconveniences of his life.

"Hey, is he okay?"

"I think so. Careful." Hakuba's hand was on his back and Kaito leaned against it, finding himself leaning against Hakuba when the detective made sure he didn't go too far back and wide up on the floor. "Are you with us?"

Kaito nodded slowly, looking around until he met Aoko's eyes and smiled. "Yeah. Hey, the flowers gone. Do you still not remember me?"

He saw some hurt flash in her eyes as she shook her head but that was okay. He used Hakuba's shoulder to get himself standing up, the detective on the floor and unable to help him by both being a hand rail and a hand up.

A messed up relationship with a messed up spell looked like it gave a pretty messed up result.

Hugging her even she didn't remember him through anything other than stories, he was suddenly feeling a lot better about all of this. If her saying likely Kid wasn't the end of the world, than getting those memories back for her wasn't impossible… and now he could go out public too.

"Come on Aoko, let's go see a witch about some memories. I think we can come up with something she hasn't thought of yet."

Aoko didn't stiffen until after, as if her body had been okay with him hugging her. "And even if she doesn't, I told you, I don't mind falling for you a second time."

Kaito grinned, an arm around her and unwilling to let her go. "No, not a second, a first. Puppy love isn't really the real thing, and now there are no more secrets… Well, some. I am a magician."

Aoko laughed to herself. "I'm fine with some. You'd better be too." Her smile was brighter than it had been earlier, even if there was still a newness to all of this there that would take some time to get over. She blushed. "Too bad I don't know which ones you already know about."

"Hopefully we can fix that. If not," Kaito started to whisper, drawing closer to her. Instead of going for her ear she kissed her on the cheek. "I don't mind starting over. You're cute when you're embarrassed."

"Kaito!" Aoko pushed him away, blushing and trying to smack him when he was still too close. "You pervert!"

Kaito started to laugh. "Same old Aoko."

Aoko sat through the short laughed, trying to get the heat out of her face. "If not, this is going to take _a lot_ of getting used to."

"I'm ready for that."

She let out a breath and relaxed. Kaito could hear Hakuba snickering behind them. Aoko shook her head. "I guess I am too. I'd have to be, having a best friend like you."

"Always." He lightly pushed her forward. "Now come on. Can't get anywhere by standing still. Let's go see if we can't get this fairytale romance to rethink itself."

Aoko shook her head and stopped long enough to take his hand in hers before going for the door. "I have a feeling of anyone can do it, it's you. You're weird, even without the tail."

"Of course," he smirked. "I'm magical."


End file.
